


under the love is a stronger emotion

by afewreelthoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Renly is Grumpy, Robb Stark is a Gift, Though it's a toned-down version of the homophobia in Westeros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 02:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15063416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewreelthoughts/pseuds/afewreelthoughts
Summary: During a visit to Winterfell, Renly struggles to get to sleep. Robb helps.





	under the love is a stronger emotion

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a modern au, and I wanted to change it to canon-verse. All characters 18+. Title from "All About Soul" by Billy Joel, cause I'm a basic bitch.
> 
> I own nothing and make no money from this. Everything belongs to George R.R. Martin.

When Renly rolled over in bed for what must have been the tenth time, Robb finally asked, “Are you still cold?”

When he visiting Winterfell, Renly couldn’t even get to sleep without the heavy nightshirt he had bought just for this purpose and at least three furs besides. Robb had asked him if he was comfortable when they went to sleep. That had been hours ago, and Renly hadn’t said anything. 

“Renly?” Robb said again.

“What?”

“Are you all right?”

Renly was perfectly quiet, and Robb wondered if that meant they could both sleep.

“Does…” Renly whispered, “does your family like me?”

Robb rubbed at his eyes. “You’re worried about that? You’ve met them before today…”

Arya had been the only one who had noticed something off about Renly at dinner. He had been chatting too much, his smile not quite reaching his eyes, just like when he didn’t want anyone to know that anything was wrong. Robb recognized that look, but didn’t know what to do about it.

“Does your pretty boy never shut up?” Arya had asked, her voice low and her mouth full of bread.

“You shut up,” Robb had muttered back and ruffled her hair.

Later that night, half of their clothes on the floor, Robb had forgotten how Renly had looked over dinner, but then again, Renly did a good impression of happiness. Was it Robb’s fault if his lover didn’t know how to be honest in bed? But Robb realized that was what Renly was doing right now.

“Well,” Robb said. “I think they’re still getting used to you courting me, if that’s even what you’re doing.”

“You slept with Theon years ago, didn’t you?”

“He was father’s ward, and we were best friends. It was inevitable, but neither of my parents liked it.” Robb yawned. “Honestly, I don’t know everything my family is thinking, and they are still getting to know you. If something was really wrong, they would say so, and they seemed happy over dinner.”

“How is Theon?” Renly asked.

“He’s been better. His family isn’t very happy right now.”

And then something that Robb had been doing his best to push to the back of his mind nudged its way forward. “You don’t mind that I still write to him, do you?” Robb asked.

"He’s on Pyke, and I trust you…” Renly’s voice trailed off, and Robb wondered if he was ready to go to sleep again. “… and I’m better looking than him, so…” He made a noncommittal sound.

“That doesn’t matter,” Robb muttered into his pillow. “Goodnight, Renly.”

Robb couldn’t see Renly’s face in the dark, but he felt his weight shift on the bed. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean by what?”

“That it doesn’t matter?”

“You’re gorgeous, I just don’t… It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Then what  _do_  you like about me?” His voice sounded small.

Renly was generous with compliments, sometimes, Robb thought, too charming to sound sincere. He complimented Robb on something every day, whether his words were sweet or a little smug or more than a little dirty. Robb liked to think that he also did a good job expressing affection, and certain small gestures, like a hand on his leg or a kiss on his cheek, seemed to surprise Renly, even after months, but Robb knew he wasn’t very good at putting his feelings into words. He decided that now would be as good a time as any to start.

Robb buried his hands in Renly’s soft hair.

“I like... how ferocious you are when you’re defending yourself and the people you love. I like how much courage it took for you to tell your family that we’re together, and not just any family, but  _yours_."

What Robb didn’t say was that he admired it too much. On the night his parents had discovered him and Theon together, Robb had spent exhausted hours trying to explain that his interest in Theon didn’t mean that he wouldn’t get married, but he also didn’t want his time with Theon to end, but he also didn’t want to disappoint them, and he had felt so small throughout it all. His mother and father both listened patiently, exchanging glances that Robb knew said more than words. Finally his father asked, “This means you also would be happy with a woman, right?” and when Robb had said “Yes,” he pretended not to see the look of relief on his mother's face.

"You don’t let anyone push you around or tell you what to do,” Robb said.

“Are those good things?” Renly sounded amused.

"They can be,” Robb said, running his fingers through Renly’s hair. "You’re funny. You make me feel better about myself when I think I can’t do anything right.”

“That’s easy, cause you rarely do anything wrong.” Renly arms were around him now, pulling him closer, and one hand ran down Robb’s spine. Robb’s skin tingled, and his lips loosened.

“I like how long your legs are. I like how tight they wrap around me when I’m inside you.”

Renly was quiet for a long moment.

“You’ve never said anything like that before,” he finally said.

“You never asked.” Robb knew he sounded smug, but he thought that he deserved to be a little smug, if he had said anything that surprised Renly that much. 

“I thought you were a dream come true when I met you, you know that?”

“And now?”

“I still do.”

Renly pulled him even closer, and they drifted off to sleep together.


End file.
